Foreigners wearing mini skirts prompted 2010 Jama Masjid attack: Yasin Bhatkal

New Delhi: Foreigners wearing mini skirtsand entering Jama Masjid prompted Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his aides to commit terror strike at the historic mosque in September 2010, the Delhi Police has told a court here.

In its chargesheet filed against Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar, the Special Cell of Delhi Police said the accused considered wearing of short clothes by the foreigners as "un-Islamic" and due to this they decided to strike at gate number three of the mosque.

"After the recee carried out by Yasin..., it was decided that gate number three of the Jama Masjid was suitable for shootout as foreigners were found frequenting the place and their wearing of mini skirts, short clothes while entering the Jama Masjid compound was considered by these terrorists as un-Islamic," the police said.

Bhatkal and Akhtar were chargesheeted in connection with the September 19, 2010 Jama Masjid terror attack case in which two Taiwanese tourists had sustained bullet injuries. The police said that two bikers had fired at tourists at the gate number three of Jama Masjid in old Delhi area and Taiwanese, Ku-Ze-Wei and Ko-chiange, had sustained injuries.

A bomb fitted in a stolen car parked in the area had caused a mild explosion, according to the police. In its charge sheet, the police said five months after February 13, 2010 bomb blast at Pune, IM's Indian chief Bhatkal had planned to carry out a terror strike at German Bakery in Paharganj here on August 1, 2010 but the plan was aborted as one of the executors had sustained bullet injuries due to accidental firing.

On February 13, 2010, a powerful bomb blast had ripped through Pune's German Bakery killing 17 people, including foreigners, and injuring around 60 others.

'9/11 WTC attack gave confidence to form IM'

The 9/11 twin tower attack in NewYork gave "confidence" to Yasin Bhatkal to establish dreaded terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) and such was his 'Jihadi' mindset that he was in the process of procuring nuclear warheads from Pakistan to strike at Surat in Gujarat.

This has also emerged during the probe being carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Special Cell of Delhi Police against Bhatkal and the investigators have filed two separate chargesheets before Delhi courts in this regard.

In his disclosure statement given before the Special Cell, which was filed in a court here recently, 31-year-old Bhatkal said that before the September 11, 2001 World Trade Centre (WTC) attack in New York, he had a "strong urge" to do 'Jihad' but he used to feel that he was "incapable" to commit such acts.

"During my stay in Mumbai, the attack on New York twin towers in USA took place which shook the entire world and also my complete psyche and personality.

"Before 9/11, I had a strong urge to do something like 'Jihad' but used to feel myself too incapable and short of resources to be able to bring about something significant. The 9/11 gave me confidence and strengthened my determination for 'Jihad'," IM's Indian chief Bhatkal said in his statement.

NIA, in its separate charge sheet filed before the court against Bhatkal and others, had said that IM co-founders Yasin and Riyaz Bhatkal, were planning to attack Surat with nuclear warheads and they were trying to procure these from Pakistan.

In its 277-page charge sheet, NIA said after Bhatkal and other IM men failed to carry out a series of bomb blasts in July 2008 in Surat and Ahmedabad, they started planning to procure nuclear warheads to target Surat.

Referring to the internet chats between the two top IM men, NIA said, "Yasin then asked Riyaz whether he had found nuclear bomb in Pakistan to which Riyaz denied and also said that if looked for properly, then everything was available in Pakistan.

"Yasin told him that Surat should be attacked with nuclear bombs. Yasin then requested Riyaz to look for nuclear bomb to attack Surat," it said.